Estelle inspires for Manhattan Rain
Seven stakes performers since 1 January have boosted Manhattan Rain’s profile among Australia’s Third Season Sires, and his pair of city winners last Saturday look capable of joining them.
First up was Inspired Estelle who opened the day at Sandown with a commanding victory in the 2YO fillies’ handicap over 1300 metres.
Drawn widest of the seven runners, Inspired Estelle was pushed forward to settle outside the early leader Montoya’s Secret. Jockey Dwayne Dunn sat quietly on her round the home turn and when he asked her to sprint 200 metres from home, she immediately kicked clear to score by 2.8 lengths from Montoya’s Secret with the favourite Kenedna (a three-quarter sister to Spill The Beans, by Not A Single Doubt) boxing on well from the rear to take third.
Watch Inspired Estelle win at Sandown.
Like her illustrious three-quarter brother Lankan Rupee, Inspired Estelle is trained by Mick Price for owner-breeder Teeley Assets which sold her mother Estelle Collection (by Stravinsky), in foal to Redoute’s Choice, for $1.4 million at the Teeley Dispersal two years ago. The resulting colt was bought for $1.8 million by Gai Waterhouse, Julian Blaxland and Nordic Racing & Breeding from the Coolmore draft at this year’s Inglis Easter Sale.
Later in the afternoon, 3YO Manhattan Blues delivered the middle leg of a treble for trainers David Hayes & Tom Dabernig when he defeated older horses over 1250 metres at Morphettville in Adelaide.
It was a strong performance by the gelding, now a more furnished version of the scopey 2YO that won on debut and three starts later stormed home for fourth in Pride of Dubai’s Blue Diamond S. G1.
Watch Manhattan Blues win at Morphettville.
A $20,000 Inglis Premier purchase by McEvoy Mitchell Racing, Manhattan Blues has now earned almost ten times that amount from three wins and three placings.
Manhattan Rain’s record since the New Year has been headed by his Group 2-winning juvenile daughter Scarlet Rain and six other stakes performers from all three of his active crops: 4YOs Boundary and Right Or Wrong, 3YOs Man Of Choice, Promise To Reign and Whisky Baron and 2YO Speeding Comet.
The South African-based 3YO Whisky Baron (ex Tazkara by dual Derby & Arc winner Sinndar) gets another chance to earn Group-winning status in the Kenilworth Winter Derby G3 on 25 June.
He finished second, beaten a half-length in both the Winter Guineas and the Winter Classic, and is likely to relish both the 2400 metres of the Derby and the absence of star 3YO Marinaresco, who will bypass the third leg in favour of the Durban July G1 on 2 July.
Breeders have recognised Manhattan Rain’s Danehill-free status and so, not surprisingly, five of his 16 stakes performers are from mares by Danehill sons Exceed and Excel (Scarlet Rain), Flying Spur (Moonovermanhattan & Right Or Wrong), Redoute’s Choice (Man Of Choice) and Danzero (Manhattan Avenue).
